Once again, welcome to Screen Shots, an ongoing feature on THN.com where we take a few hockey-related topics and explain them in a few paragraphs. Let’s dive straight into the subjects:
Minnesota Continues to Underperform
Once again, welcome to Screen Shots, an ongoing feature on THN.com where we take a few hockey-related topics and explain them in a few paragraphs. Let’s dive straight into the subjects:
Arizona crushed the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, falling to the Coyotes 6-0. They have now lost their last four games, going 1-7-1 in their previous nine. They have also been outscored 21-5 in those previous four games. Their next six games (against the Islanders, Lightning, Panthers, Hurricanes, Capitals, and Predators) are all against teams that should defeat them; they are currently 10 standing points behind the Nashville Predators for fourth place in the Central.
While there were analysts who anticipated more from the Wild this season, this writer wasn’t among them. It’s past time for Wild general manager Bill Guerin to start dealing away veterans, whether or not they are nearing the end of their contract. There is just not enough elite talent on Minnesota’s roster to change the course of their season. This team should have very few untouchable players, and Guerin and the Wild brass should be forced to face a harsh reality check by playing a half-season of essentially meaningless hockey. It should not be an option to run it back with the majority of the team intact the following season.
Imagine the delight on the faces of Wild supporters if they possessed a respectable roster of elite players capable of competing with Central Division teams and positioning Minnesota for a deep Stanley Cup playoff run. We’ve said it before, but it deserves to be said again. Instead, they’ve engaged in this exercise in mediocrity, and barring a significant change, they will remain largely ineffectual for the foreseeable future. This season, Guerin has already fired a coach, so it’s obvious that wasn’t the primary issue with this group. It concerns the lineup’s composition, and a significant adjustment is unquestionably necessary.
Date and Location Revealed for National Indigenous Junior Hockey Championships
The announcement this week of a national Canadian indigenous tournament to be held in Toronto during the summer of 2025 was fantastic news. The under-20 tournament, which is slated for June 2–6, aims to give a community that is underrepresented in the wider world a competitive platform.
Indigenous issues have been welcomed by hockey in recent years, but it’s this kind of grassroots movement that will attract more elite Indigenous players, which should cascade into even more involvement in the coming years and decades. While we can’t just snap our fingers and expect overnight success, we can collaborate with Indigenous organizations and individuals to make the hockey scene far more inclusive than it is now. Let’s hope the competition is a huge success and inspires more initiatives similar to this one.
Amazing Project Helps Disabled Youth Live the Hockey Dream
Lastly, congrats to all those who worked on this incredible project, which enables impaired kids to play hockey.
Children with limited mobility can experience the atmosphere of a hockey game thanks to the “Volt Hockey” program. These kids just want to have fun, and it’s great that this program allows them to do just that. Additionally, the Volt program is seeking volunteers in Manitoba to assist with its expansion. If you have some free time, there aren’t many people more grateful than those who are involved in the project or whose children are involved in it.
This is the true essence of hockey—a sense of community—and it is certainly something that should be widely supported. You won’t regret spending the time to learn about the program.
Also Read: W. Graeme Roustan’s NHL Team Valuations for The Hockey News